to the RN who seroconverted after 18 months
#28698 - 02/24/02 09:39 AM

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Hi there. I hope you are well.I read your posts about you taking much longer than the stipulated window period to seroconvert---18 months!May I ask about your testing history? Did you test at 3, 6, 12 months? And then the final test at 18 months?I am so worried that I may indeed be infected but not so up as so on the tests. It has been 12 months since my exposure and I fear that I will end up in a similar situation as you, take 18 months or even longer to test positive and in the meantime having a false sense of security and unwiittingly infect others.Is it possible that you actually seroconverted earlier but didn't take a test then but only at 18 months?

Hi, I hope this finds you well,Im wondering if the facility that you were working for at the time of your needle stick had a needle stick policy in place? I'm also a RN that has had needle stick injuries but more important my fiance is a Lab technician that tested positive after a needle stick. His medical treatment is paid in full by workmans comp. however he was not given treatment in a certain time frame as he should have been.

That is a good question, I was also wondering when the previous test was done. Understanding their tendency to keep testing regularly, I assume they were testing every 6 months or so. I am also wondering about their viral load, since early treatment is supposed to offer advantages. Here is a copy of my earlier question, a few posts down...

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Hello again. I remember your story from a while back, I think it was entitled "Latent Seroconversion". I was just wondering if you've had a viral load test to see how well supressed the virus is. I really hope that your slow seroconversion is a sign that the virus has been kept in check by your immune system & the PEP. The PEP might have given your immune system an advantage over the virus. Anyway, I hope you are feeling well, and that you have a good doctor to help you with treatment decisions, etc. Best of regards.

I'm sorry to hear about your fiance, he probably converted in the specified time frame, I did not, and now I am having a terrible time with Workmans Comp. Their doctor states that I didnot acquire HIV at the hospital I was working at, also I had to change lawyers, so not only being depressed about being HIV+, I have to defend myself on top of it. Telling the truth is not what people want to hear. I was started on the PEP 2 hours after the needle stick, however was not given the right combination for almost a week. I also think that at my age, maybe the seroconversion took longer. I have now been on medications since Oct. /2001, Viracept 750 mg. TID, and Combivir 1 tab BID, my Tcell count is over 700 and my Viral Load is undetectable, however my cholesterol is at 305, sometimes you can't win, now I am also taking Provacol to try and reduce it. About lab testing, after the needle stick, I had lab work done immediately, I was negative, then at 3 months negative, then at 6 months negative. So from January 2000 to June 2000 (6 months) I was negative, I didn't get a blood test again until July of 2001, I was feeling lousey, flu like symptoms, nausea and vomitting, weight loss, so went back to the doctor, well lo and behold, I had my labs drawn again and I turned out HIV+, unbelievable, no other risk factors have been involved since the needle stick. I still believe everything is not known about HIV+ and that it is believed that if you seroconvert after 6 months of the first risk, that it is not true. I'm sorry for rambling, but I am angry and hurt, because the truth doesn't seem to matter in this case. I still send my bills to Workers Comp., my case hasn't been settled, I am also doing a third part lawsuit. Thanks for writing.

I tested negative immediately after the needlestick, negative at 3 months, negative at 6 months. The needlestick occurred on Jan. 2000, the 6 month time frame was from Jan.2000 to June 2000. I then did not get tested again until July 2001, so yes I could have converted between June 2000 -July 2001. However, everyone assures you that if you don't show positive after 6 months, you are home free. Well, maybe it's my age, maybe it was the fact that the doctor made me take the PEP 2 months instead of 1 month, I don't know, neither does anyone else. If you took the PEP, I would recommend getting tested at 12 months. It doesn't hurt. I wish you luck.

Thank you for replying. I just like to tell you that I think that you are very brave to come out and tell about your situation, even when you are afflicted with this terrible disease. I am so sorry for you and all other people who had and have to deal with this. Hopefully I am negative. It has been 12 months since my last possible exposure, and this isn't significant compared to many other people.Hope that you continue to be strong and hang in there. Good luck to us all.

Im sure there are many cases of people who seroconver after 6 months, and ever after 12 months, only they are not known cases, but I'm sure there are several cases like this. They make you believe that if you re apparently clear by 6 months you can breath again, it's just not true.

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